


In Black and White

by BrokenWorld1984



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: At least Henry thinks so, Boris is a good boi, Henry has flashbacks, Joey isn't an arse, Maybe - Freeform, Wally is innocent, Woot another work, and is outta here, i dunno, lots and lotsa flashbacks, oh wait he killed Boris, or did he?, that will take fivever to finish, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-02-07 02:33:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12831459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWorld1984/pseuds/BrokenWorld1984
Summary: Dear Henry,It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together.30 years really slips away, doesn't it?If you're back in town, come visit the old workshop.There's something I need to show you.Your best pal,Joey DrewHenry decides to come back to the studio.---------------------(Another video game made into a work by me. Enjoy!)





	1. Prologue

_Dear Henry,_  
_It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together._  
_30 years really slips away, doesn't it?_  
_If you're back in town, come visit the old workshop._  
_There's something I need to show you._  
_Your best pal,_  
_Joey Drew_

 

Well, here I was. Back at the studio. Really, I don't know why I came here. Was it nostalgia? Or did I just come all the way here to humor Joey? The building was dilapidated; the signage was hanging on by a rusty nail, the name still proclaiming "JOEY DREW STUDIOS". The walls were showing signs of rot, yet almost miraculously, the door stood almost untouched. I still had the studio's front door key. With slight hesitation, I turned the lock. The door's hinges were stuck in place for a moment, then swung open. I entered.

"Alright, Joey. I'm here," I say to nothing in particular. "Let's see if we can find what you wanted me to see."

It seemed like the very air in the studio was tangible. The place was surprisingly well lit, considering this place was abandoned for nearly 3 decades. I half expected Joey and the others to come out at me; like a reunion. Everyone. Thomas, Sammy... Wally. Ever since I moved out of town, before business went down, it seemed like everyone cut contact with each other. But no, no reunion. Only the faint music of a still-functional projector. The tape rolling was blank, though. I could see that even from here. There was an archway announcing the entrance to the studio. Huh. That must've been added shortly after I moved. I walked down the hall, glancing at the posters on the walls. All the classics. They were in good condition. Almost as if I had walked back in time, when they were first printed. Little Devil Darling. The Dancing Demon. And my personal favorite: Sheep Songs with Boris the Wolf. I proceeded to the projector to turn it off. Then I saw him. A cutout of him. I couldn't help but grin. The namesake of his own cartoon series, the Little Devil himself. Looking at the face I grew so accustomed to drawing, a memory entered my head. A memory of the time before the studio even existed.

 _We wanted a cartoon character that would stand out on the screen. None of those anthropomorphic animals for us, no, he had to be different. Joey wanted the character to be mischievous, a thrill seeker. We went through several ideas. None of them worked. Then I suggested jokingly, 'Hey, why not a demon?'. To my surprise, Joey agreed. 'It's different,' he said. 'Maybe this will actually work.' After that, we brainstormed for the character's design. We eventually settled for a white bowtie, gloves and his iconic grin. 'Now all we need is a name.'_  
_'Hm.... What about Bendy?'_


	2. Sketches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rediscovering old places, reminiscing old times, and finding something new.

"Hey, here's my old desk," I mused. "I've wasted so much time in this chair..." Another Bendy cutout was beside my drawing board. I could feel it's black eyes staring at me. Crazy, I know, but it seemed like it. Cobwebs were everywhere. Papers covered the other desks. It almost seemed as if everyone stopped what they were doing and left in a hurry. I walked some more, remembering what it was like in the studio.

_At first, it was a dream come true. With determination, creativity, and (as Joey said) enough belief that we could do this, Joey Drew Studios found its niche in the animation world. Though there were a few complaints on the choice of creature the main character was, kids seemed to love the antics of Bendy (and when he made appearances, Boris, as well). Working at the studio was almost just as great, too. Being the co-founder of JDS, I was also the lead animator. Making the story concepts were a bit challenging, though I mainly took inspiration from my childhood misadventures. Everyone liked working on the cartoons._

Soon, I came to a hallway. I knew that this hall was different. Something... I couldn't describe how it was, but it felt... different. Then I remembered what was at the far end of the hall. It used to be just a spare room, for keeping trinkets or files and whatnot. That was before I quit working here 30 years ago, when Joey had these ideas for a machine. Something nobody in the animation industry has ever done before. 

_Business was failing. Even though the Bendy cartoons still held a place in animation, all of us could see the decline in viewers in favor of the newer animations. Joey was devastated. But being Joey, the dreamer and a man not easily swayed by failure, took desperate measures. I didn't notice it until the day I resigned._

_Only 15 of us were left in the entire studio: Me, the remaining 11 animators, Wally, Thomas, and of course, Joey. I spent my last few days getting my stuff together. I heard rumors that Joey had hired more people. Even a voice actor. And one of them was going to come here for a quick tour of the place. The day I left the studio, I wasn't in that much of a hurry. After I walked out the door, I would be a free man, looking for another job, and spending time with Linda again. But I bumped into someone on my way out. He was carrying papers, which scattered on the floor. 'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-' I started and went to get what he dropped, but the man cut me off. 'No, no. It's ok, really.' His voice was smooth. He stooped down with me and gathered the remaining papers (which I later realized were sheet music). A second later the incident was forgotten. 'I don't think you've been here before...?' I asked. I managed to get a good look at him. Because of the lighting, I couldn't tell whether his hair color was light brown or a dark blonde. He was wearing a white blouse (made a light shade of yellow because of said lighting) and trousers. Nobody dressed that way here unless there was some event going on. Most of us just wore whatever was comfortable enough to go out in. 'Oh, I'm Sammy. Sammy Lawrence. I'm here for the position of music director. You must be Mister Drew?'_  
_'No, I'm his friend... Henry. Joey's office is down the hall.' Sammy give his thanks, I apologized one more time, then I continued on, towards the exit._  
_Until someone crashed into me. 'Oh, geez, Henry, sorry 'bout that! Well, that aside, you seen my keys anywhere? I swear, it must have a mind of its own to keep vanishing like that.' I shake my head. Before I turn the doorknob to the exit though, someone calls my name. It's Joey. 'Are you sure you want to leave, old pal? There's still so much potential left in this studio!' I shake my head again. 'Joey, there's nothing left to do for the studio. Business is failing. Flinter Studios' Flip is the new Bendy. There's nothing we can do to take that back.' Joey frowns, uncharacteristic for the man so well-known for being the optimist. 'Henry, remember that first day when I told you that the studio made it out there because we believed it could? Who's to say that can't happen again?'_  
_'That was before. Joey, times are changing. Old-school animation isn't as appealing as it used to be.'_  
_'So why not keep up with the times? Or better yet, be a step ahead? Listen, I've got these blueprints for a machine that will change everything. All we have to do is to make it happen.'_  
_'... I'm sorry, Joey. I can't.' Then I turn my back and close the door._

_Next month's headline features the closing of Joey Drew Studios._

That was the last time I ever heard of the studio. Or anyone who worked there. So when I got the letter, another part of me thought the whole Machine thing had blown over and Joey had finally come to his senses. But really... "So this is the Ink Machine, huh...? Wonder how you turn it on." Don't blame me for questioning. I had no idea what this thing could do. But it had to have something to do with ink (obviously). The Machine was big, as tall as me. A tank for ink was in one end and an opening at the other. More cabinets were here. Probably for storing tools needed for the contraption's maintenance. I set off, looking for an on/off switch on the Machine. No such luck. It had to be powered _somehow_. So I exited the room, looking for the solution. Maybe this is what Joey wanted me to see; the Machine, finished. I wondered again what it could do. The other way led to a fork. I knew that, so I chose left. Nothing in the right path but storerooms and the break room which nobody uses. Then I see the audio player. I smile. Joey used these to record his 'motivational' speeches, but when he forgot about them, the others used them to talk about their day and/or vent out their feelings, me included. I never expected them to be scattered out in the open. Curious, I press the play button.

_At this point, I don't get what Joey's plan is for this company. The animations sure aren't being finished on time anymore, and I certainly don't see why we need this... Machine. It's noisy, it's messy, and who needs_ that _much ink, anyway? Also, get this: Joey had each one of us donate something from our work stations; we put them on these little pedestals in the break room. 'To help appease the gods,' Joey says. 'Keep things going.' I think he's lost his mind (heh), but hey, he writes the checks. But I tell you what: If one more of these pipes burst, I'm outta here!_

That was only one voice I knew that had that way of speaking. Wally Franks, the janitor. He was more of a comic relief to most of us, asking about the whereabouts of his keys and cracking jokes at otherwise serious moments and sometimes even helping give inspiration for an episode. But about what he said about Joey... 'Appease the gods?' Hopefully, Joey must've been joking when he said that. But it gave me an idea of where to go next. The break room. I pass more desks, going through yet another hall when suddenly

_**CRASH!** _

A wooden plank falls from the ceiling, the sound echoing through the halls. Looks like the place wasn't as secure on the inside as I thought it was. The break room was at the right of the fork in the paths. But before I enter, a flash of black appears in my peripheral vision. I instinctively turn my head to loom at it, and immediately regret it. My eyes widen. Time seems to slow. I put off the task of going to the break room to investigate this shocking... thing.

It's Boris the Wolf. A cartoon made real. And he's dead. I cautiously brush my hand against the Toon's limp, cold arm. "Oh my God. Joey... what were you doin'?" Was _this_ what Joey wanted me to see? Then I see the message scrawled on the wall:

WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?

I feel a little angry. At Joey, for making this Machine. For creating something, then experimenting on it. But my anger is soon made into determination: _I will get to the bottom of this._

"Alright! How do I get this to work?" I ask myself once in the break room. The lever at the far end won't budge, and I think Wally's audio log said something about these pedestals... Maybe that's it. It's worth a try. But what should I put on them? Then I see the frames. Music note, stuffed toy, wrench, cog, inkwell, and a book. Pretty random stuff. I set out to find them, but stop in my tracks. "Who put this here?!". Someone had used the plank as a stand for a Bendy cutout and decided it was funny to place it in front of me-  
Wait. I was the only one here. If someone else entered, I would've heard the entrance/exit door screeching open. So either somebody's been camping out here (which was unlikely) or the place was haunted (which was _extremely_ unlikely).

Finding most of the things I needed was pretty easy. Wrench and cog in the Ink Machine's room, a Bendy plushie on top of a drawer, a record of some Bendy soundtrack (The Lighter Side of Hell was its title), and the book on a chair near Wally's audio log. The Illusion of Living. By Joey-  
Wait, _Joey **Drew**_ wrote this book? I try to open the book to see its contents, to no avail. It's sealed shut by something. Never mind that, though; I still had to find the inkwell. On my desk? Nope. On a drawer, on a chair, on a plank of wood... The places went on and on, but no inkwell. I finally found it in the dead Boris' room, hidden beside a drawer. "Ok, that's all of them." I remark, heading to the break room and putting them on their respective pedestals. Ready to pull the lever and see the Machine in action, I go to it and see the status of the Machine.

[LOW PRESSURE]

Well, that was a let-down. "... I just need to get the ink flowing somehow. Should be a switch around here somewhere. Then I can start up the main power." I decide to try the other path this time, the one leading to the projecting room. That room was used only when we finished an episode. One of us would put it on a reel, then we'd all watch it, giving comments on the quality and deciding whether to air it or not. That was a long time ago. Before, when business started down into a downward spiral, we rarely used the projecting room, just airing whatever we finished. Then a Bendy cutout peeks around the corner, nearly making me jump in surprise. _What the heck was that._ As I round the corner and enter the room, I see that nobody was there. Just the cutout of the Little Devil, ink puddles scattered in various places. As I enter, the projector turns on, playing a test animation of Bendy over and over. It won't turn off. A part of me started thinking that this place was seriously haunted. I shook the feeling off, looking at the new machinery that now occupied the projecting room. It was nothing much; just a contraption with a button saying _**FLOW**_ in bold letters. I press the button, and the studio comes to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is finished!  
> ...Yes, yes I know. Henry's leaving the studio is a little lackluster. But I managed to fit in some of my headcanons:  
> \- Henry leaves because business is failing due to newer companies getting all the attention and leaves to find a better job.  
> \- He doesn't know anyone else aside from Joey, Wally, Thomas, the other animators, and only knows a little about Sammy because Susie, Norman, and the others were either not hired yet, or were going for a job interview like Sammy, but on other days.  
> Well, hopefully, I finish the succeeding chapters much faster now. I pretty much have Chapters 1 and 2 memorized (excluding the audio logs). Well, seeya in the next chapter!


	3. Hellfire Follies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ALMOST-NEW-YEAR!!!!

It was good seeing the studio up and running again. Not so much that the pipe connecting the pump to the rest of the place sprung a leak. A big one. It flooded the room higher than my ankles, but lower than my knees. There was no other way to get out completely unstained, so I covered my face with my arms, bowed my head, and ran through the waterfall of ink (Or is the more appropriate term "inkfall"?). 

I emerge on the other side of the door almost completely covered in the liquid. Almost miraculously, only a little ink managed to make it to my face. I cringed at the state of my clothes, then I recollect myself. It's time to see what the Ink Machine does. 

I go back to the break room and pull the lever. 

[RUNNING]

The lights dim. As I go to the Machine's room, I can hear banging in the walls, no, the pipes. I shake the familiar feeling of fear away. It's probably just the ink. When I arrive at the entrance, the Ink Machine is indeed running. But...  
The entrance is boarded up. 

I stare at the planks blocking my way. After a minute, I move to try and dislodge one.

Bad decision.

A flash of black pops out behind the boards and attempts to grab me. I instinctively move back, and in that millisecond of fear, I manage to get a detail of my attacker:  
It has Bendy's iconic grin.

_I'm getting the **hell** out of here. _

I run as ink bleeds from the walls and ceiling. 

Past the now off projector.

Towards the exit. I reach out for the knob, ready to turn it and slam the door behind me, then

**CRACK-CRASH!**

The floor opens up from underneath me, taking me down with a few wooden boards and the ink still flooding.


	4. Drawn to Darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer and closer to 2018, dudes! 
> 
> Really hoping it's gonna be a good year!!!

When I got over the shock of falling and the dizziness of tumbling a two whole seconds in air, I realized that there was good and bad news.

The good news: I somehow had no injuries other than a few scratches from a splintered plank and aching muscles.

The bad news: The whole place I fell into was _flooded_ with ink up to my waist, and the stuff was still pouring in.

There had to be some way to drain it, I think, eyeing a valve attached to a pipe. Maybe that could help. I turn it, and the ink subsides. Then I spot another audio log. Curious, I press the play button.

_It's dark and it's cold, and it's stuck in behind every single wall now. I swear, in some places, this godforsaken ink is clear up to my knees! Whoever thought that these crummy pipes could hold up under this kind of strain either knows something about pressure I don't, or he's some kind of idiot. But the real worst part about all this are them noises the system makes... like a dying dog on it's last legs. Make no mistake, this place, this... Machine... Heck, this whole darn thing... It just isn't natural. You can bet, I won't be doing any more repair jobs for Mister Joey Drew._

Thomas Connor, the repairman. He was a quiet person, more silent then me, but only because he was usually just fixing up a projector or two or the lighting, and not having to deal with answering the constant questions of fellow coworkers. If he ever had any words directed to him, such as a 'thank you' or a question, he'd respond with just a nod or a sentence not exceeding more than seven words. We were acquaintances. Thomas seemed more comfortable around me, probably because I wasn't as talkative as the rest. We'd just chat about the cartoon, and occasionally laugh over some incident involving Wally and a spilled water bucket. He was still there when I left. But I never expected him to be so... frustrated about anything.  
I exit the room, turning more valves and draining the ink as I go. When I come to the end of the flood, the only other way is barricaded with wooden boards. On the wall to my right is another ink-scrawled message:

THE CREATOR LIED TO US.

Ominous. Well, there had to be some way out of here. But it's not as if the solution would pop out of nowhere...

Then I notice to my left, an axe is attached to a wall, blade shining, just begging to be picked up.

I am reminded heavily of cartoon logic as I pick up the weapon. "This will definitely come in handy."   
The axe feels heavy in my arms, but it serves it's purpose well, breaking the planks with ease. As I break the planks barring a door, I hear faint rumbling. Is it an earthquake? The thought stays in my head. The rumbling becomes louder, and the path I just came from collapses. No turning back now.

Inside the room are two coffins, a couple of chairs, and a pentagram. I feel faint. I head for the door on the far side of the room, but the I feel nauseous, visions coming in and out of my head.

That physical form of Bendy.

A wheelchair.

The other Bendy standing beside my desk, dripping with ink.

Then the Ink Machine, the contraption that started this whole mess.

Then I black out.


	5. Those Old Songs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, ladies and gents, welcome to Chapter Two! This took some time to finish because I took a break from writing (as usual). But hey, it's a long chapter by my standards, so that should compensate!

_nngh...._

_Oh, my head..._

What happened...? Where am I again? I try to open my eyes, but they stay closed. There's a ringing in my head that won't stop. My whole body aches, but my head suffers the worst. I may or may not have a mild concussion. After a short while, I attempt to get up. I can still stand, but it takes me half a minute to regain my balance. By now the ringing stops, but my sight is a bit blurry. I rub my eyes, hoping that my age isn't the cause of this. Thankfully, it goes away, but the headache remains. As soon as I remember where I am and how I got here (in Joey Drew Studios, somewhere below the original area, probably being chased down by a horrific creature that looks like Bendy), I look at my surroundings. Two coffins, the axe leaning on the left coffin, two chairs, and a... pentagram? I knew I blacked out as soon as I entered the room, and that was far from the center of the room. "Well, there's only one thing to do... Press on. See if I can find a way out." I grab my axe, comforted by it's heft, and break down the planks blocking the door. Behind it is a staircase, with a sign reading **Utility Shaft 9**. What the hell went on here after I left? Aside from Joey hiring more people and the events concerning the Ink Machine, that is. "How did this place get so big?" I say to myself, glancing at yet another ink-scrawled message, this one proclaiming 'HE WILL SET US FREE'.

Another poster is down here, one of the lesser known cartoons. Train Trouble, the title says, featuring Bendy in a train engineer costume, grinning as he leads his locomotive down the rails. It was a fun cartoon to animate, what with Bendy switching between engineer and other various jobs to keep his train in working order and not disappointing his passengers. I shake my head, almost as if I were trying to will the memories out of my head. I turn around to see another audio player. When I press the play button, I am greeted with the voice of Sammy Lawrence.

_He appears from the shadows to rain his sweet blessings upon me. The figure of ink that shines in the darkness. I see you, my savior. I pray you hear me. Those old songs... yes... I still sing them. For I know you are coming to save me, and I will be swept into your final, loving embrace... But, love requires sacrifice. Can I get an amen?_

What. The. Actual--  
"I said, can I get an _amen_?"  
...fuck. I didn't know much about Sammy then, only that he was going to be taking the role of music director and that he was a polite yet serious man, but now... Just... what happened while I was gone? Deciding to continue on after a full two minutes of thinking about what I just heard, another Bendy cutout, placed in front of a pentagram and candles this time, comes into view. After five seconds of considering the pros and cons of doing what I was about to do, I whacked my axe into the torso of the brittle wood. My body still aches, but destroying that cutout felt... good, for some reason. I guess seeing that grinning face one too many times finally got to me.

Going on, another hallway is flooded with ink. The poisonous smell of the liquid is very evident here. But I did this before, I can do it again. I had nothing to lose but my already-irrepairably-stained clothes becoming even inkier. As I waded through the mess, a figure at the other end passed by, carrying a Bendy cutout, muttering something to itself. Again, I had nothing to lose, so I called out. "Hello? Excuse me, c-can you help me? ...hello?" He (I assumed it was a he) didn't hear me. Coming into the other end of the hall, I look to the direction where the person(?) disappeared. Literally. Any sign that he was there was nonexistent. "Where the hell did he go...?" There was no sign of any possible exit, just another Bendy cutout (again, in front of a pentagram) and a shelf almost stacked to the brim with... cans. Actually, I've never seen these cans before. I pick one up, examining it.

**BRIAR LABEL BACON SOUP**  
**"Just the way the little devil likes it!"**

Bacon soup, huh... That's new. I turn the can around, looking for any other details, finding nothing but the little devil's head as a trademark and instructions on how to eat it (which was simple, yet... Weird. "Eat with fork". Forks for soup.). No manufacturing or expiration date at all. Probably why this thing never made in into the market. It then occurs to me that I might be here for a while. Of course, I didn't really bring anything with me when I first came into the studio. Why would I? Would I expect to be stuck in some deeper, newer part of the place I thought I knew, being hunted down by some living cartoon? But that aside, my mind drifts back to the original question. Hunger wasn't exactly my number one problem right now, but sooner or later the issue would come up.

Putting the can back, I head the other way, regarding a Bendy statue (carved out of stone and everything!) with only a little surprise. The next area, as I almost expected, was closed off by a gate. To my right was the lever that probably activated the machinery. It was a little weird, to be honest. Why would an animation studio, of all places, need a gate leading to the next area? I pull the lever, and nothing happens. That's the moment I realize that there are flickering lights, three of them, beside the lever. I need to get power to this contraption. "There should be switches or buttons or whatever floats your boat somewhere around here. Then maybe I can open it."


End file.
